Childhood and youth
Yuri was born in Moscow, but did not belong to the dynasty of artists. The boy's parents, Dmitry Semenovich and Valentina Ivanovna, were ordinary workers. At one time, the father was under house arrest due to the publication of a prohibited joke, so all the troubles of supporting the family fell on the mother’s shoulders. But the family did not break up because of these difficulties. Yuri Dmitrievich later noted that his parents lived amicably. The elder Kuklachevs could not explain where their son’s talent for making people laugh and understanding animals came from.
At the age of seven, Yura first saw a film with Charlie Chaplin in the cinema. The American actor made a strong impression on the boy, after which Kuklachev promised to become a clown. Yuri tried seven times to get into the children's training studio at the circus school, but was refused over and over again. However, these refusals only made my desire to perform in the circus stronger. In many ways, during this period the young man was supported by his father: with his faith in his son, he inspired him to make another attempt at admission, which turned out to be successful.
After graduating from school, Yuri Kuklachev got a job at the Young Guard printing house, and in the evenings he studied circus art in a circle at the House of Culture. One day, at an amateur art festival, a 17-year-old boy became a laureate of the All-Union Review and received an invitation to study at the Moscow State School of Circus and Variety Arts. Later, Kuklachev received a higher education as a theater critic at GITIS.
The first performances of Yuri Kuklachev
It is known for certain that the first performance of the young clown took place back in the sixties.
During that period, our today's hero became a laureate of the All-Union Review of Amateur Artists. At the final performance, which took place at the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, Yuri amazed everyone with his subtle humor and boundless energy. After this, the best specialists of the USSR drew attention to the talented guy, who very soon began inviting the artist to various educational institutions. Kuklachev's Cat Theater Among many universities, Kuklachev chose the State School of Circus and Variety Arts. Here he began to study balancing act, acrobatics, juggling, and clown skills. It is very noteworthy that there were no cats in Yuri’s variety acts at that time. Another fact also seems interesting and worthy of attention - after graduating from the State Institute of Economics and Arts, Kuklachev also received another education at the State Institute of Theater Arts. Thus, at present, our today’s hero can boast not only an artist’s diploma, but also a theater critic’s diploma.
Personal life
As soon as he arrived at work at the Union State Circus, Yuri Kuklachev met a charming dancer named Elena. Their first meeting, which changed the personal lives of both, took place at a friend's wedding. Both were witnesses at the wedding ceremony. The hot-tempered and emotional artist immediately noted the calm disposition of his companion. The candy-bouquet period lasted several months.
The girl soon became the wife of an aspiring clown and a faithful life partner. Together with Yuri Dmitrievich, Elena Isaakovna entered the circus arena for a long time. She appeared before the public in the form of a teenager, a clown's assistant. Kuklachev notes his wife’s great acting talent. According to him, he received all the awards only thanks to Elena. The maestro regrets only one thing, that his wife’s talent was not appreciated by the country’s leadership: he alone received the title of People’s Artist.
The Kuklachevs' wedding day fell on July 8 - the feast of Orthodox saints Peter and Fevronia. The couple later saw this as a special sign. They came to faith together. In an interview with the Spas TV channel in the program “And There Will Be Two,” Yuri Dmitrievich noted that for him and his wife the year they visited Jerusalem was memorable. There they attended the descent of the Holy Fire and also celebrated Easter.
Yuri Kuklachev in his youth
Posted by Pet2You - a virtual home for pets on Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Yuri Kuklachev in his youth
Three children were born into the Kuklachev family - Dmitry, Ekaterina and Vladimir. All three are directly related to the cat theater founded by their father.
Dmitry graduated from circus school and immediately began performing with animals in the theater. The eldest son creates acrobatic sketches and circus tricks for performances. The only daughter became an artist and is responsible for scenery and costumes at the theater. Ekaterina illustrates her father’s books, and during performances the girl performs an act on creating living sand paintings.
And the youngest son, Vladimir, graduated from the ballet academy, was a soloist at the Israeli Opera and Ballet Theater, but now he also works at the Cat House theater. Kuklachev Jr. staged the plays “Magic Colors” and “People and Cats.”
In his free time, which Yuri Dmitrievich has little of, Kuklachev loves to draw and is interested in wood carving. But my main hobby remains animals. Cats are not only a job for a trainer; thoughts about furry animals occupy Yuri Dmitrievich’s leisure time.
Posted by My Dynasty - my roots. IT project on Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Yuri Kuklachev and his family
In addition to performing in the circus arena, the maestro is known for his literary work. The artist has written and published dozens of fictional and popular books and other illustrated publications dedicated to animals.
The clown is the author of the books “Yuri Kuklachev and his 120 cats”, “My friends cats”, “The most ordinary chest” and “Cat’s House”. In addition to a number of biographical facts, Yuri Dmitrievich shares the secrets of the trainer’s profession from the pages of books.
In the spring of 2021, information appeared online that the famous clown had died due to a dangerous disease. These rumors were first voiced by a doctor working in the “red” zone to combat coronavirus infection. Joseph Prigogine joined this statement. The error was soon fixed. According to the producer, he did not know that Kuklachev was alive. The musician made a mistake in the name of the circus artist, confusing Yuri Dmitrievich with the already deceased Oleg Popov.
Yuri Kuklachev himself does not complain about his health. But in the “Million Dollar Secret” program, the artist admitted that after he had coronavirus, he decided to write a will.
Today, the trainer is convinced that four-legged pets help him maintain excellent health. Thanks to the family dog, the artist regularly goes for walks, and cats, with their purring, are able to eliminate nervousness and tension after a working day.
Yuri Kuklachev: The secret of youth is my wife! And 200 cats
The artist admits: he has no intention of retiring. He really loves petting cats! Photo: RIA Novosti
On the eve of his birthday, the “cat dad” and People’s Artist of Russia told Komsomolskaya Pravda about crystal castles for animals and the record longevity of four-legged artists.
— Yuri Dmitrievich, five years ago, celebrating your 65th birthday, you admitted that you felt 25. And today?
- Well, accordingly, 30, maximum - 35! Of course, I get checked, go to doctors, monitor my sugar and cholesterol. But still in shape. We run, we jump - with my work at the Cat Theater there is no other way.
—Where does so much energy come from?
- And my wife rejuvenates me. Although she is already in her eighties, she is a nimble girl (Elena Isaakovna is a year older than her husband, she works with him at the Cat Theater. - Author). We met back in 1969, and it was she who suggested the idea with cats to me. This year I am celebrating four anniversaries at once: in addition to the 70th anniversary, another 50 years of family life, the same amount of creative activity and 100 years of the Russian circus.
— The whole family is involved in your theater...
- Yes, I can safely say that I created a dynasty. Previously, at one time I recruited strangers as students, but they turned out to be unscrupulous. They hung up posters that Kuklachev was performing, deceiving the viewer. After that I stopped doing it. I realized that the main thing for strangers is money, creativity is on the side. And I have my own children - sons Dima and Volodya, daughter Katya, and I must pass on the work of my life to them. Today they all work in my theater, and there are no equals to it yet.
— How many animals do you have now?
“It’s very difficult, no one can count them.” While I am now driving in the car and talking to you, the cat Boriska could again enter the female territory and increase the number of kittens by 30 - 40! We have reached 200 cats. Nightmare! We are already saying: “Borya, that’s enough! We’ll put you separately!”
— What conditions do your artists live in?
— Several years ago we built a Crystal Castle for our pets. These are luxurious cat apartments with transparent walls. Guests can observe the bright and clean rooms in which the cats live, there is no smell, and they eat to their heart's content. And everything is very neat, no violence - we control it with cameras. And if on average pets live 17 - 19 years, then ours is 20 - 25. We examine them and feed them with vitamins.
And street animals also need to be taken care of. Now five-story buildings are being demolished in Moscow, and there are cats living in the basements. Where should they go? I suggested installing glass rooms in such areas where barn cats would congregate. And so that everyone can go there and feed the Murziks. I still regularly feed the mongrels sausages.
— How will you celebrate the anniversary?
— I don’t like all these banquets, toasts, gifts. It’s more interesting for me to give it myself. Therefore, we will organize a festive performance, where we will invite children from orphanages and monasteries. Plus we are touring all over the country. Russians not seeing our performance is the same as coming to the USA and not showing Disneyland to a child.
DID YOU KNOW…
The Prince of Monaco made the clown a postage stamp
In 1985, Yuri Kuklachev participated in the World Circus Festival in Monte Carlo, where he won. The triumph of the Russian clown was witnessed by Prince Rainier III of Monaco. The monarch was so amazed by his ability to get along with untrainable cats (Kuklachev’s artists roll cars, walk on their hind legs, play roles on stage and climb all unimaginable equipment and decorations) that he ordered a postage stamp with the image of the Soviet “cat tamer.” Kuklachev himself learned about its existence only 30 years later.
This brand is still sold in Monaco.
Circus
The country first started talking about Yuri Kuklachev in February 1976. Before this, the clown had already performed in the circus arena, but the artist always wanted to come up with something new that no one else had before. At that memorable concert, the performer came out to the audience, accompanied by a pet cat named Strelka.
The cat had a unique ability, which the novice trainer had previously noticed - the animal constantly hid in the pan. Using positive motivation techniques and noticing moments when the cat rushed into the pan, Kuklachev created a performance called “The Cat and the Cook.” The light, effective number became the first in the creative biography of Yuri Kuklachev, a cat trainer.
After this circus performance, the small troupe was replenished with the following four-legged artists - the kitten Kutka, the cat Romashka and the Maltese lapdog Pate. Later, new furry artists appeared in the theater: the cat Ugolek, the nimble Rat, as well as Sprat, Chamomile, Chucha, Banana and others.
Posted by Kuklachev Cat Theater on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Yuri Kuklachev and his wife
Gradually, the “Cats and Clowns” and “City and World” programs created by Kuklachev conquered the Soviet Union and the whole world. Viewers could not understand how the artist managed to raise this pet, because previously it was believed that a cat could not be trained. Yuri Dmitrievich himself assures that he does not apply training as such to little artists, but only uses the personal habits of each animal.
Yuri Dmitrievich carefully monitors the characteristics and interests of each specific animal and simply helps the kittens develop their talents. The trainer is sure that animals, like people, always have a certain gift, and you need to find those who have the talent to perform in the arena. Over time, Kuklachev has already reached such a level in understanding four-legged friends that the artist only needs to hold a cat for a few minutes in order to understand the peculiarities of its character.
The trainer is known for his dedication. He enters the circus arena even when he is ill. His wife noted in an interview that Yuri Dmitrievich was not stopped even by a serious finger injury before the number, during which he had to perform a trick on his hands. The audience had no idea at that moment how much pain the artist experienced during the performance.
Posted by Narine Basoyan on Monday, November 4, 2019
Yuri Kuklachev and his cats
The achievements of the Soviet clown were also noted abroad: in Canada, Kuklachev was awarded the “Golden Crown of Clowns” award and a diploma “For humane treatment of animals and the promotion of humanism”, and at the International Circus Festival in Monte Carlo - an honorable second place.
In 1986, the artist released the concert program “Circus in My Luggage,” after which Kuklachev was awarded the title of People’s Artist of the RSFSR.
Yuri Kuklachev embodied his creative experience and ideas in the world’s first and only private cat theater, which was called “Cat House”. There, a clown and cats offer viewers more than a dozen different performances. Kuklachev’s repertoire also includes a special performance, “Intimate Conversations with Prisoners,” with which the artist travels to Russian colonies for children who have stumbled in life. Now “Cat House” has already turned into a real family business. In 2005, the theater received state status.
In addition to performing on the stage of his native theater group, the artist conducts educational activities. Yuri Kuklachev became the author of an educational project for primary school age “School of Kindness”. In addition to the “Kindness Lessons”, which the trainer regularly conducts in educational institutions and correctional colonies for minors, Yuri Kuklachev acts as a radio host of the program of the same name on “Children’s Radio”.
Posted by Alexander Chernilevsky on Sunday, April 12, 2020
Yuri Kuklachev and his cats
In 2015, for the 25th anniversary of the cat theater, Yuri Kuklachev presented a performance called “Dynasty”, which included the best numbers from the master’s entire creative career. To participate in the production, the performer involved his own family, a circus troupe and 35 cats, which included representatives of four generations of descendants of the cat Strelka.
In 2021, the Russian artist planned to build a palace for four-legged pets in Israel, in the city of Ashkelon. Kuklachev’s idea was supported by residents and the city administration. It is expected that the palace will house multi-tiered enclosures, a museum and training classes for cats. In an interview, Yuri Kuklachev said that the cost of the palace would be $1 million.
In October 2021, the autonomous non-profit organization Transparency International Russia accused the Kuklachev Cat Theater and 13 other theater groups of laundering public money and embezzling budget funds. Law enforcement agencies were invited to check the legality of all transactions made by the accounting department of the Yuri Kuklachev Theater. The accusation turned out to be unfounded, since no incriminating evidence was found in the documents.
The theater continues to delight young viewers with new performances. Every year on holidays there is a performance dedicated to the New Year. In the last days of 2021, the play “New Year's Tale” started, announcements of which were posted on the official website of the Yuri Kuklachev Theater and on the Instagram profile.
Biography of Yuri Kuklachev
In 1967 he performed at the All-Union Amateur Show and was awarded the title of laureate. At the final concert of the show, which took place at the Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, specialists drew attention to the young man and invited him to the circus school.
In 1971, Kuklachev graduated from the State School of Circus and Variety Arts (since 1987 - State School of Circus and Variety Arts named after M. N. Rumyantsev (Pencil). In 1979 - Faculty of Theater Studies of the State Institute of Theater Arts (now the Russian University of Theater Arts - GITIS).
In 1971-1990 he was an artist of the Union State Circus.
Kuklachev wanted to be different from other clowns and was looking for his own path. In the mid-1970s, a domestic cat appeared in his room for the first time. The programs created by the artist captivated the audience. Kuklachev went on tour in Canada, the USA, Puerto Rico, Germany, Argentina, Peru, France, Japan, etc.
In 1989 he decided to create his own theater. In 1990, the Moscow City Hall gave Yuri Kuklachev the premises of the former Prizyv cinema on Kutuzovsky Prospekt. On February 23, 1990, a private theater opened (the original name was “Cat House”, currently “Kuklachev’s Cat Theater”). In 2005, the theater received the status of a State cultural institution in Moscow. The theater staged the performances “My Favorite Cats”, “Boris the Cat Olympics”, “Cat’s House”, “Ice Fantasy”, “People and Cats”, “Clowns and Cats”, “Queen of Cats”, “Forest of Miracles”, etc.
Now there are two independent groups in the theater - Yuri Kuklachev and his son Dmitry Kuklachev. They work alternately, so despite numerous tours, the theater is almost always open to the public.
Yuri Kuklachev takes part in the filming of children's programs and is a guest on television shows.
He starred in the films “Above the Rainbow” (1986), “Mikko from Tampere Is Asking for Advice” (1986), etc.
Kuklachev is the author of the books “My Friends Cats”, “One Hundred and Twenty Cats of Yuri Kuklachev”, a manual for circus school students “If you want to be a clown”, etc.
In 2003, Kuklachev proposed the “School of Kindness” cultural and educational program for classes with children in primary school. He wrote a series of books “The School of Kindness” and methodological recommendations for teachers and psychologists on conducting “Lessons of Kindness and Self-Knowledge.”
There is a Regional Public Fund for Promoting the Cultural and Spiritual Education of the Younger Generation named after Yu. D. Kuklachev.
Yuri Kuklachev - People's Artist of the RSFSR (1986). His work has received many awards. In 1976 in Canada he received the “Golden Crown of Clowns”, in 1980 he was awarded the Lenin Komsomol Prize, in 1981 - the Golden Oscar Award (audience award in Japan). In 1986, at the World Circus Competition in Monte Carlo, Kuklachev received the Silver Clown prize. In 1994, for creating the world's only cat theater, he was awarded the Order of Friendship. In 2001, Yuri Kuklachev was awarded the Order of “Hope of the Nation” and awarded the title of Academician of Natural Sciences.
In 1995, during a tour in Paris, the Kuklachev Cat Theater was awarded the Golden World Cup and the title of “The Most Original Theater in the World.” In 2006, the International Association of the United Nations awarded the Cat Theater the “Golden Phenomenon” prize, and the Association of Broadway Theaters recognized the theater’s performance “Cats and the Artist” as the best performance of the year.
Yuri Kuklachev is an honorary professor at the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts, and an honorary professor at the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts. People's Teacher of Russia. Member of the Russian Writers' Union.
Yuri Kuklachev's wife, Elena, is an actress and works at the Cat Theater. They have three children: son Dmitry is an artist of the Cat Theater, daughter Ekaterina is an artist of the Cat Theater, son Vladimir is a ballet dancer.
The material was prepared based on information from open sources
Movies
Yuri Kuklachev made his debut in cinema in 1980. At first, the trainer starred in documentaries about circus performers “With a Good Smile...”, “Komsomol, Love and Spring” and in the musical and entertainment film “And Also the Circus”.
In 1986, the performer made his debut in feature films. Kuklachev was offered an interesting role in the children's comedy film "Above the Rainbow", where Dmitry Maryanov also made his debut as a child. Later, the clown starred in the joint Soviet-Finnish project “Mikko from Tampere asks for advice” and the buffoonery “The Cat and the Clown.” The latest film by Yuri Kuklachev was the educational series “It Can’t Be!”, in which the circus artist plays himself.
Not only the trainer himself participated in the filming of artistic films. His ward - the red cat Peter - became one of the main characters in the film "Brownie". The furry artist managed to pass the casting, where a performer with a “hooligan expression” was selected.
Later, Yuri Dmitrievich repeatedly became the hero of television programs. In 2021, he visited the studio of the “My Hero” program; a year later, the film crew of the “While Everyone is Home” project visited the circus performer’s home. The maestro regularly gives interviews for the Orthodox channel “Spas”.
Yuri Kuklachev now
In 2021, in honor of the 70th anniversary of Yuri Dmitrievich, the Cat Theater released an anniversary program, which included the best performances of recent years. The artist and his family members spoke about their benefit performance on the TV show “Evening Urgant”.
At the beginning of 2021, the show of the new play “Meowgli” started. Call of the Jungle." The concert program was liked by the young spectators. The Cat House Theater has already toured many Russian cities, including St. Petersburg and Yekaterinburg.
Awards and achievements
- 1976 - “Golden Crown of Clowns” and diploma “For humane treatment of animals and promotion of humanism” (Canada)
- 1977 - Honorary Member of the American Clown Association
- 1980 - Lenin Komsomol Prize
- 1980 - Honored Artist of the RSFSR
- 1981 - Golden Oscar Award (Japan)
- 1985 - Silver Clown prize at the International Circus Competition in Monte Carlo
- 1986 - People's Artist of the RSFSR
- 1994 - Order of Friendship of Peoples
- 2011 - Honorary Professor of the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts
- 2012 - Honorary Professor of the Belarusian State University of Culture and Arts
Yuri Kuklachev currently
In the 2000s, the popularity of the clown and his theater began to slowly decline.
The number of publications devoted to his person began to decline progressively. Interest in cat theater performances also began to decline. Despite this, currently Kuklachev still continues to perform on stage with his cats. In addition, under his leadership, a special project was created, the International Association School of Kindness, which often holds performances and shows performances in schools, kindergartens and other institutions. In 2011 and 2012, this educational program brought the artist the title of Honorary Professor of the Moscow State University, as well as the Belarusian State University. universities of culture and arts (MGUKI and BGUKI).
